Reports of a boa constrictor in Lake Hopatcong over the past week have caused a fervor in the lake community though there has been no official confirmation nor have any photos been taken of the snake in the lake.

State Trooper Jeff Flynn confirmed police have received three reports of a snake near South New Jersey Avenue near the Main Lake Market and in Capp Cove.

"Each time troopers responded to the area to negative results," Flynn said. "There have been no official sightings."

One of the first known updates about the boa was a post from Byram Cove Party, now The BCP, on Facebook last Wednesday.

"Lake Hopatcong friends please beware of a very large reported 15+ft Boa Constrictor that has been seen by several neighbors, last seen swimming toward Halsey Island. Animal Control has been called," read the post.

The story appears to have taken on a life of its own and now the rumored boa has its own Twitter handle - @HopatcongBoa – with more than 100 followers.

Bill Boesenberg is the owner of Snakes-n-Scales, a reptile company which presents environmental education programs, and he also handles poison control calls for snake bites in northern New Jersey. He believes the Lake Hopatcong boa is a pet that was either released or escaped, and it's not as big as some reports claim.

"This is a mountain out of a molehill," Bosenberg said. "The largest known boa constrictor was 80 pounds and 12 feet long, assuming that's what this is."

Bosenberg said boa constrictors are common exotic snake pets.

"Unfortunately this is a very common thing, pets getting out or people dumping them," he said. "And for this snake, it's a death sentence."

Bosenberg said boa constrictors are not "stay in the water" snakes like their anaconda relatives, and they cannot survive in temperatures of 60 degrees or lower.

"Come September if it's out there it'll be dead," Bosenberg said. "This individual snake will certainly be dead by October, never to be seen again, and certainly not hurting anybody."

In the meantime, he said there is no cause for concern.

"It will not attack a child, it will not come up to a person to get food. Unless someone picks it up, they're very cautious animals," Bosenberg said. "I think it's just an exaggerated concern because it's a snake. Dogs and cats are more harmful than this snake would be. You know what's the most dangerous animal in New Jersey to humans? The white tailed deer because it jumps in front of cars."

Bosenberg said Lake Hopatcong is likely home to northern water snakes, blackish-colored snakes with triangular heads.

"They look mean and they kind of are," Bosenberg said. "If you catch a fish they may jump out of the water and take it away. But they don't usually attack."

Other common snakes on land in the area include garter snakes, black rat snakes, and some smaller species. Bosenberg said it is possible - but rare - to find venomous snakes copperheads or rattlesnakes in the area.

"In a typical year, under two people are bitten by venomous snakes in New Jersey," Bosenberg said. "I get the poison control calls about snake bites in the area and venomous calls are extremely rare."

Boa constrictors are not poisonous, but Bosenberg said people should not attempt to catch the boa if they spot it.

"My advice if you see it is call animal control and leave it alone," Bosenberg said. "Walk away. There's no need to catch it. It's incapable of breeding on its own and it will die soon."